Rotary steam-engine



No. 609,579. Patented Aug. 23, |898.

H. H. FREEMAN.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

, (Application led July 1, 1897.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 609,579. Patented Aug. 23, |898. H. H. FREEMAN.

ROTARY STEAM AENGINE. (Application filed July 1, 1897.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

Svi/vanto@ z No. 609,579. Patented Aug. 23, |898. `H. H. FREEMAN.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

(Application filed July 1, 1897.)

Il] mi.; r Lijn THE manifs PETERS coJnoYoJJTno.. wlsumcwn n c UNITED iSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. FREEMAN, oF PIERRE, soUT'H DAKOTA.`

SPECIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,5719, dated August 23, 1898. y replication tied my 1, 189'?. senti 643,131. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. FREEMAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Pierre, in the county of Hughes and Stateof South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Rotary Steam-Engines; and I doY declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to reversible rotary steam-engines; and the object is to provide a simple, eiective, and economical engine of this class.

To this end the novelty consists in the con-v struction, combination, and arrangement of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully` described, and particularly pointed out-in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive fitted with my improved rotary engine. Fig.

2 is an end view of the cylinder detached from the locomotive. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the rotating drum removed from the cylinder. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the valve-gear. Fig. 6 is an enlarged rear elevation of the cylinder. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the Valve-gear rock-shaft, Fig. S is a detail plan of the back-pressure plate. Fig. 9 is an edge view of the same. Fig.` 10 represents the packing-strip detached from the plate. Fig. 11 is a reduced front elevation of the cylinder, showing the exhauststeam chest.

plan and an edge view of the guide-bar `52.

1 represents the locomotive, and 2 the transverse cylinder fixed under the forward end Fig. 12 is three detail `views of` the drum packing-rings, and'Fig. 13 shows al 9 represents the back-pressure plate,which has a reciprocating movement in a radial guideway 10, formed in thecylinder-casing. .12 represents the rotating drum, xed upon the driving-shaft 13, journaled in the bearing's 14, mounted in the frame 15, and provided with the cranks 16 16, arranged at a right angle to each other.

From the respective crank-pins the usual connecting-rods extend to the driving-wheels. l The rotating drum is formed with two oppositely-disposed grooves 17 and 18, extending about half-way around the periphery of the drum,the groove 17 lying parallel with the solid portion of the drum between the ends of the groove 18, and vice versa, as shown in Figs, 3 and 4.

The inner curved edge 2O of the back-pressure plate 9 conforms to the shape of the grooves 17 and 18, which it snugly fits, the curved edge and the parallel side edges of said plate being formed with a rectangular groove 21, which receives the packing-strip 22 to form a steamftight joint between said plate and the contiguous face of the groove.

It will be understood that there are two independent plates 9, one for each groove, and also two slide-valves and sliding valve-seats, a complete set of each being employed for each groove in the periphery of the drum.

Each valve is provided witha stem 23, pivoted to a vertical crank 24 on a rock-shaft 25, having a depending crank 26, carrying a link-block 27, engaging the link 28, forming a part of the usual link reversing-gear of an ordinary locomotive, the link being pivoted to the shorter arm of a bell-crank lever 29, provided with an operating-rod 30, extending lbackto the cab. Each movable Valve-seat 7 is inder below the plate 9 to reverse the motion of said drum to drive the locomotive backward, as will be hereinafter explained.

The sliding valve-seat 7 is provided with a stem 36, which is pivoted to a vertical lever IOO 37, the upper end of which is pivoted to a rod 38, extending back to they cab. A connecting-rod 39 extends from the lever 37 to a bellcrank lever 40, and from this bell-crank lever a vertical rod 41 connects to an arm 42 on a rock-shaft 43, journaled inbrackets 44 44 on the front of the cylinder, and the inner end of said rock-shaft is provided with a crankarm 45, to which the rod 46 is pivoted and which extends into the exhaust-steam chest 5 and is connected to the exhaust-valve 47.

The exhaust-valve 47 is a plane rectangular plate and is adapted to close or open either of the exhaust-ports 48 or 49 alternately, and when the engine is hooked in for going ahead the sliding valve-seat 7- is in the position shown in Fig. 5, and the exhaust-valve 47 closes the port 48 and leaves a clear exhaustpassage through the port 49. When the sliding valve-seat 7 is moved to the opposite end -of its stroke, the go-ahead port 34 is blanked or closed, and the backing-up port 35, is opened and at the same time the exhaust-valve 47 has been shifted by the same means and it closes the exhaust-port 49 and opens the port 48.

The back-pressure plate 9 is provided with a valve-stem 50, which is pivoted to a vertical lever 5l, fulcrumed in a depending V- shaped bracket secured to the frame, and 52 represents a guide-bar pivoted at its rear end to said lever, its forward end extending Ythrough a guide-bracket 53, and its interme- Ygroove is formed on the opposite parallel end of the drum to give a corresponding movement to the duplicate back-pressure plate.

`usual packing-rings.

Referring'to Figs. 3 and 4, 56 56 represent circumferential grooves, which receive the 57 57 represent transverse grooves extending across the solid face of the drum at each end of the grooves 17 and 1S.

Referring to Fig. 12, 58 5S represent the packing-rings,formed with the usual lap-joint 59, which are arranged opposite to leach other on their respective rings, and each ring 5S is provided with one or more integral lugs 60, which project into a corresponding4 recess 61 in the bottom of the grooves 56 to prevent the rings slipping in said grooves when the en- .,gine is in action.

While I have described my improved reversible rotary steam-engine as applied to a locomotive, it will of course be understood that it is equally adapted for use as a stationary engine for electric-light service as well as marine use, and when mounted longitudinally` on a suitable truck it is particularly adapted for use as a rotary snow-plow.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be conned to the same, as such changes or modifications :may be made as clearly fall within the scope of my invention Without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent'of the United States, 1s Y 1. The rotary steam-engine, comprising the cylinder 2 open at both ends, the live-steam chest 6 and the exhaust-steam chest 5, in combination with the exhaust-valve 47, the drum 12 mounted in said cylinder, and provided with the oppositely-disposed grooves 17 and 18 and the endless guide-grooves 55, the pressure-plates 9, 9, extending into the grooves 17 and 18 midway between the passages connecting the live-steam chest and the cylinder, the movable valve-seats 7, the slide-valves 8 and the guide-bars 52, 52, provided at one end with the stud 54 projecting into the guidegrooves 55, said bars being operatively connected at their opposite ends to said slidevalves, substantially as shown and described. 2. The rotary steam-engine comprising the cylinder 2, open at both ends, the live-steam chest 6 and the exhaust-steam chest 5, arranged on opposite sides of said cylinder, the drum-piston 12 mounted in said cylinder and having its solid ends arranged in the same plane with the ends of the cylinder so as to form closed heads for said cylinder, the steaminlet valves 8, S, operatively connected to said drum-piston, and the exhaust-valve 47, adapted to be operated by hand and independently of said steam-inlet valves, substantially as and' for the purpose setforth.

3. The rotary steam-engin e, comprising the cylinder 2, open at both ends, the live-steam chest 6 and the exhaust-steam chest 5, arranged on opposite sides of said cylinder, the drum-piston 12, adapted to till said cylinder and form heads therefor, and formed with the oppositely-arranged grooves 17 and 18 in cornbiuation with the pressure-plates 9, 9 projecting into said grooves, the movable valve-seats Y'7 and the steam-inletvalves 8 mounted in said live-steam chest 6, and means for independently operati-ng said valve-seats and valves and the exhaust-valve 47 and means for manually operating said exhaust-valve independently of said inlet-valves, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I vhereunto aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT H. FREEMAN. Witnesses:

C. C. PRICE, D. H. FREEMAN.

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